Density Waves and Jamming Transition in Cellular Automaton Models for Traffic Flow

TL;DR

This paper investigates the jamming transition in cellular automaton traffic models through simulations, revealing how density and noise influence jam formation and upstream jam velocity, which correlates with maximum flow conditions.

Contribution

It introduces a method to analyze jamming transitions and upstream jam velocities without explicitly defining jams, using characteristic density profiles in cellular automaton models.

Findings

Jamming transition depends on density and noise magnitude.

Upstream jam velocity is independent of density, decreases with noise.

Maximum flow point determines the upstream jam velocity.

Abstract

In this paper computer simulation results of higher order density correlation for cellular automaton models of traffic flow are presented. The examinations show the jamming transition as a function of both the density and the magnitude of noise and allow to calculate the velocity of upstream moving jams. This velocity is independent of the density and decreases with growing noise. The point of maximum flow in the fundamental diagram determines its value. For that it is not necessary to define explicitly jams in the language of the selected model, but only based upon the well defined characteristic density profiles along the line.